It's Draymond Green Time Now

If the Golden State Warriors are going to sort this mini-mess out, if they're going to prove they're more than Stephen Curry, if they're going to stabilize a series that until Thursday's Game 3 loss seemed like a ready-made sweep, Draymond Green must be the one to do it.

Among the many things Thursday's 97-96 loss to the Houston Rockets proved—the underdogs can actually try for an entire half, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson are more dependent on Curry for survival than previously thought and Andre Iguodala may have reached the point where he can't be a shutdown force every night—the centrality of Green to Golden State's survival was the biggest.

Green, by his own admission, had a rough one, telling reporters afterward (via Bay Area Sports Guy's Steve Berman):

"

I cost us the game. The world will think I'm talking about that last turnover, and I'm not. I turned the ball over. That happens. But I was awful. The whole game. I don't really … I care about that turnover, but I don't care to the point where I feel like that turnover cost us. I cost us the whole game, throughout the game.

"

The turnover to which Green referred—a booted ball out of bounds that meant the Warriors didn't even get a chance at a game-winner on their final possession—wasn't pretty. But it was apropos as a capper for Green's seven-giveaway night.

And as he mentioned, poor ball security wasn't his only problem.

Green's energy, usually potent enough to power the arena in which he's playing, was lacking in Game 3. The outage was poorly timed: on the road against a Rockets team that finally played like it needed a win. And though his self-criticism has to be viewed relatively (he posted nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists, which isn't so bad), the overall performance fell far short of the standards he'd set in a genuine breakout season.

Virtually everything that went wrong for Golden State could be traced back or tied to Green's substandard showing, which, positive spin, highlights his immense value.

The Warriors' half-court offense sputtered. Shooters reliant on drive-and-kick setups and well-timed ball reversals were too often left stranded. The exploitable chaos of transition scoring chances rarely materialized. The defense didn't dial in until it was too late; reactions were slow, and blown switches abounded.

Green is the one guy on the roster with the game and mindset to control all those things, so his bad night led to predictably poor results.

That means going forward, whatever Curry's status is (out, limited, something in between), Green will be hugely responsible for tightening the screws on what was a rickety all-around effort.

He must bring the heat early on defense, switching with purpose and calling out signals from the interior. He must take care of the ball while attacking and creating—a tricky balance, but one he executed throughout the season.

Go ahead and try to find another power forward (who plays a whole mess of minutes at center) who can facilitate on the run like this:

Or this:

More than anything, he must be the one creating more transition chances like the ones above by turning defensive stops into breakneck breakouts. No power forward pushes the rock more effectively than he does, and as long as Curry's health is in doubt, the Warriors have to score when things get scattered to compensate for their diminished half-court potency.

That's a long list of requests, but Green has met them all season. So, really, all the Warriors are asking is that he be Draymond Green.

Now, it'll certainly be tougher without Curry on the floor (or on the floor at something less than full strength). There's a pervasive idea that much of Green's effectiveness is tied to the MVP, and that's a fair assessment in a couple of important ways. Green feasts on the four-on-three attacks that constant traps on Curry create, and his brilliance in the open floor largely depends on five defenders scrambling to find the world's best shooter on the wing.

It's funny how the middle of the court opens up for the hard-charging Green when there's a sniper of Curry's caliber drawing attention near the sideline or in the corner.

But it's also true that Green has played well without Curry.

Remember, he tallied 12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers in Golden State's easy Game 2 win. And he posted 15 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and four steals during a 109-105 Steph-less victory over the Atlanta Hawks March 1. Let's also not forget the triple-double (10 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds) on Dec. 31 for a 114-110 win at Houston.

We know Green has it in him to dominate games without his best teammate around.

And now, he'll probably have to.

Bill Baptist/Getty Images

With Thompson being denied the ball, Barnes proving over and over that he can't create his own shots and Iguodala searching for consistency, it's all on Green.

That's a huge responsibility, but it also offers an even bigger opportunity.

If we scrap the conventional definition of the transcendent, scoring-dynamo superstar and focus instead on objective value and effectiveness, Green belongs in the league's absolute top tier of individual talent.

His reputation lags behind his worth, though, precisely because he's not the kind of player we typically associate with that superstar label. His contributions are too inconspicuous, unless you're watching closely. His stats, robust as they are, don't reflect his indispensability as a tone-setter, motivator and strategist.

Add that to the stakes, then: Green can broadcast his superstar legitimacy while stabilizing a series and preserving Curry by allowing him to rest.

Green wasn't any good in Game 3.

He has the balance of the series to show everyone why he's great.

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